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THE PROGRAM

The 2005 edition of Writing to Win contains three components for teachers and two components for administrators and academic coaches. For best results, we implement the teacher components one at a time: Journal Writing in year one, Process Writing in year two and Sentence Building in year three. Administrators and academic coaches receive training in special coaches workshops, as their teachers receive classroom training.


Click on each Writing to Win component below for more information.

The three components for teachers:

The two components for administrators and academic coaches:

 

JOURNAL WRITING

Writing to Win journal writing expands the idea of journaling to students writing about what they are learning in every classroom. The journal includes numerous writing strategies requiring critical thinking of students. These strategies help students focus on fluency in higher-order thought. Fluency is the ultimate intent, purpose and outcome of the journal component.


The Journal for Writing Across the Curriculum teacher's manual is available for:

  • Primary grades, K-2
  • Elementary grades, 3-5
  • Secondary grades, 6-12

All teacher's manuals for journal writing include descriptions and examples of numerous critical-thinking journal strategies and a sample scope and sequence of journal prompts.


The Writing to Win student journals include blank journal entry pages for each day of the school year and blank Log of Entries for student self-check. For best results, we recommend use of our Writing to Win student journals with all students.


Writing to Win journal writing includes a wall chart system for opening the dialogue between teacher and student, teacher expectations for each writing topic and student self assessment:

  • Log of Entries for Teacher Expectations
  • Guide for Writing in Your Journal

For more information on Writing to Win journal writing materials, click here.

 

PROCESS WRITING

Writing to Win process writing requires students to write a long draft at least once a week and then take their best drafts all the way to publication. Writing to Win writing cycles span two, four or six weeks of class. In six cycles per year, teachers can hone students' abilities to present the voice, pictures and flow in their writing.


Writing to Win Resource Guides for teachers are available and customized for the following grade levels:

  • K-2
  • 3-5
  • 6-8
  • 9-12

Each guide includes a complete introduction of Writing to Win process writing. The introduction includes:

  • A guide for setting up writing portfolios
  • A sample scope & sequence for writing
  • Pages for teachers to use in creating a scope and sequence of writing prompts

Seven of the eight sections of the resource guide—prewriting, drafting, revising, proofreading, evaluating, skills and topics—provide strategies and instructional tools for process writing. The first five sections include standards and strategies that help teachers set precise expectations for each step of the writing process.


Writing to Win process writing includes a wall chart system for opening the dialogue between teacher and student. A Writing Cycle wall chart prompts teachers to post their expectations for each step of the writing process. The students' Writing Cycle allows students to self-check their weekly progress and predict and earn their process-writing grade.

  • A Writing Cycle for Teacher Expectations

For more information on Writing to Win process writing materials, click here.

 

SENTENCE BUILDING

Sentence Building presents the most researched approach to teaching grammar: sentence-combining practice. The sentence-combining puzzles in each of nine levels of Sentence Building include enough practice to secure the research effect of two years' growth in language maturity in just 15 weeks. Specifically, Sentence Building provides for:

  • Students' understanding of English grammar
  • The transfer of grammatical knowledge to writing
  • Increased sentence variety
  • Students' use of vocabulary, punctuation, subject-verb pairs and pronoun-antecedent pairs

For more information on Writing to Win Sentence Building, click here.

 

MONITORING THE PROGRESS OF YOUNG WRITERS

Monitoring the Progress of Young Writers is a guide for administrators in grades K-5 and 6-12. This compilation of tools streamlines the work of administrators and academic coaches by helping teachers set up classroom routines for process writing, journal writing and Sentence Building.


Monitoring includes easy-to-use forms called tools, tested effective in numerous schools and districts during the 2002-2004 school years:

  • Needs assessment
  • Preparing for the launch of the Writing to Win system each year
  • Orienting teachers
  • Administrator's checkup
  • Teachers' self-check reflection
  • Student perceptions
  • Recognition of excellence in writing

Monitoring concludes with a sample scope and sequence of writing activities for each grade level, exemplars of student writing and an application for recognition as a Writing to Win Exemplary School of Writing.


For more information on Writing to Win monitoring materials, click here.

 

WRITING TO WIN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND LEARNING

The strength of the Writing to Win instructional initiative is found within its professional development and learning. Writing to Win offers a variety of professional development options:

  • Teacher training on site
  • Professional Learning
    1. Jumpstart workshop
    2. Mock writing test workshop
    3. Reliable scoring session
    4. Exemplary School of Writing recognition
    5. Coaches workshop
    6. Action research focus studies

For more on Professional Learning, click here.

 

For more information on Writing to Win training and support, contact us.